BEIJING, May 10 (Xinhua) -- China has encouraged people in religious circles to make further efforts to help post-quake reconstruction in northwest China's Qinghai Province.

China's State Administration for Religious Affairs made the appeal Monday in an open letter published on its official website.

The administration called on religious leaders and believers to donate to help with the reconstruction effort.

As of May 7, donations for the quake-hit area from religious circles had topped 86.92 million yuan (12.73 million U.S. dollars), the letter said.

The 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Yushu on April 14 left at least 2,200 people dead and more than 100,000 homeless.

Local buddhist monks played a "specially important" role in the relief work by rescuing survivors and assisting the local government deal with quake relief affairs with religious and cultural consideration, the letter said.

Religious people and organizations nationwide also helped in the relief effort through donations and prays for the quake-affected people, the letter noted.

The administration said that reconstruction work, as a long-term and complex project, should be done in an organized manner under the guidance of local Party organizations and the government.

The letter also requested religious circles to oppose any separatist-type activities during the relief and reconstruction work, to maintain national unity and social harmony.